On writing, books, films, potpourri and lagniappe on anything and everything...

Friday, August 16, 2013

LINWOOD BARCLAY'S NEW NOVEL--A TAP ON THE WINDOW

Hi folks,

One of my all-time favorite
authors is internationally-bestselling Canadian Linwood Barclay, who writes
truly amazing thrillers. In fact, I recommend his work to my novel-writing
students and clients as one of the best examples of how a writer creates
tension on every single page… which he always does.

My only complaint of him as
a writer is that he doesn’t write nearly fast enough! My preference would be
for him to come out with a new novel each week, but I guess that isn’t too
feasible…

What that means is that
when he does come out with a new one, I’m all over it, like sweat on a marathon
runner. And, I know to never begin a Barclay novel at night. Not unless I plan
to stay up until the sun rises…

Well, he finally came out with a new one! A TAP
ON THE WINDOW.

And this one is his best so
far!

I’m not good at writing
plot summaries so I’ll just rely on the Amazon copy for that:

It’s been two months since private investigator Cal Weaver’s
teenage son Scott died in a tragic accident. Ever since, he and his wife have
drifted apart, fracturing a once normal life. Cal is mired in grief, a grief he
can’t move past. And maybe his grief has clouded his judgment. Because driving
home one night, he makes his first big mistake.
A girl drenched in rain taps on his car window and asks for a ride as he sits
at a stoplight. Even though he knows a fortysomething man picking up a teenage
hitchhiker is a fool, he lets her in. She’s the same age as Scott, and maybe
she can help Cal find the dealer who sold his son the drugs that killed him.
After a brief stop at a roadside diner, Cal senses that something’s not right
with the girl or the situation. But it’s too late. He’s already involved.
Now Cal is drawn into a nightmare of pain and suspicion. Something is horribly
wrong in the small town of Griffon in upstate New York. There are too many
secrets there, too many lies and cover-ups. And Cal has decided to expose those
secrets one by one.
That’s his second big mistake.

What I bring to the table
for your consideration is that I really couldn’t put this down! It’s like every
one of Linwood’s novels—drenched with tension and blow-by-blow it just keeps
ratcheting up--you simply can’t quit reading. It can be used as a textbook for
writers who want to learn the very best techniques of creating tension on every
page… and it can be read by readers who like their books to be riveting and
keep them on the edge throughout the entire novel.

Bad things happen. Lots and
lots of bad things. And the ending is so damned powerful. This is by far his
darkest novel.

For me, there was an added
bonus. Part-way through the read, I came upon my own name! Well, not exactly my
entire name. A character named Len Edgerton. Just one sentence that says:

If that happens, if we get
a few more complainants—in fact, this kid said he knew of at least one other
person, by the name of Len Edgerton or Eggleton or something—well, that might
play out very differently.

Well, Linwood and I are
kind of friends—in fact, he gave me a great blurb for THE BITCH which comes out
in January from New Pulp Press, so I had an inkling that maybe he’d chosen this
name on purpose. So, I emailed him. Here’s our exchange:

Me, to Linwood (we’d been
talking about Bouchercon and Thrillerfest and he’d told me he wouldn’t be able
to make Bouchercon, but would be at Thrillerfest)

I hope to make Thrillerfest.
BTW, I see you've got a minor character named "Len Edgerton." Just
wondering... :)

I'd forgotten about that. I was casting
about for a name one day and must have seen something you posted on FB, and
thought, that'll do, but I can't do the name exactly the same, so I changed a
letter.

Don't sue.

To which I said:

Sue?! I'm so tickled pink I can't see
straight. Thank you! Although, if that would have been me, I would've gotten
the guy over the rail and into the river... :)

(That last was about what this character did,
later on in the novel.)

So there you have it. Inside “skinny” on how I
ended up in a frickin’ Linwood Barclay novel!

I have no doubt that this will help make it a
bestseller.

No doubt at all.

You’ll wanna get this puppy. It’s one of the
best I’ve read in a long time. And I read a lot.

About Me

Hi! Welcome to my blog. To introduce myself, I'm a full-time writer with eighteen books in print and I teach creative writing on the university level, through private coaching of writers, and on various on-line venues.
I write in a variety of forms: novels, short stories, nonfiction books, screenplays and the subjects I choose to write about are just as varied, including sports, literary fiction, thrillers, black comedy and the craft of writing.
I'm married to Mary and we have a son, Mike. I have two daughters--Britney and Sienna--from a previous marriage. I immigrated to Ft. Wayne, IN from the U.S.A. and it's where I still live today. Doing my best to learn the language and adjust to the culture.
I have a checkered past, having spent two-plus years incarcerated at Pendleton Reformatory back in the sixties for burglary. I'm all cleaned up now and you can invite me into your home and don't have to count the silverware when I leave.
Graduated from Indiana University with a B.A. in General Studies (Honors of Distinction); obtained an MFA in Writing from Vermont College.
Email: butchedgerton@comcast.net
Twitter: HookedOnNoir

Ken Bruen

I recently sent copies of THE RAPIST and THE BITCH to one of the best writers in the world, Ken Bruen. I just wanted to get on his radar and nothing else. He misunderstood and thought I was asking for a blurb... so he gave me one. Although unsolicited, it meant the world to me. Here's Mr. Bruen's email:

Dear Les

Thank you so much for the books and the superb novels.

You sure have lived the life and have a nice light touch in describing it.

I loved the novels.

Here is my blurb

Les Edgerton is the reincarnation of our beloved Eddie Bunker.

The writing is as tough and tender as Bunker with that wonderful sense of dry humour that underpins even the most violent of scenes.

This guy can write and like a focused Bukowski.

Make no mistake, here is the real deal.

The books cry out for movie deals.

Warmest wishes

Ken Bruen

On HOOKED

I read every writing book that comes down the pike, and I like a lot of them. But I LOVE Hooked / write fiction that grabs readers at page one and never lets them go! As punchy as Les Edgerton’s hard-hitting fiction, Hooked takes no prisoners. Clear, simple, direct, it offers something fresh in every chapter. I recommend it to all my students and even my colleagues. Your writing library won’t be complete without it.

Jerry Jenkins

Best-selling author of the Left Behind series and many others

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JUST LIKE THAT

LAGNIAPPE

The Death of Tarpons

Paperback edition from Betimes Books

THE DEATH OF TARPONS

Ebook version from Endeavour Press (UK)

BOMB

Newest novel!

THE GENUINE, IMITATION, PLASTIC KIDNAPPING

It's here!

THE BITCH

Spinetingler Magazine nominee for Best Novel, Legends category

THE RAPIST

Available now from New Pulp Press and Amazon

THE RAPIST- German Edition

Pulpmaster

FINDING YOUR VOICE

Craft book on the writer's voice

HOOKED: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go

Craft book on story beginnings

Monday's Meal

NY Times compared me to Raymond Carver in the review.

Perfect Game USA and the Future of Baseball

History of the world's biggest youth baseball scouting service

The Death of Tarpons

My first novel--was awarded a Special Citation from the Violet Crown Book Awards

MIRROR, MIRROR

Young adult thriller

SURVIVING LITTLE LEAGUE

Co-written by Mike and Les Edgerton. Spoof on "daddyball."

BEST THRILLER OF 2011 AWARD

Preditors and Editors Award

Nominee for Best Thriller of 2014

THE RAPIST

Sent to me by my colleague Holly Love. This is my "signature store" in Boulder, Colorado. BLUE SKIES, EVERYONE!

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